Chinese Name sounds different and may difficult to remember or write especially for European foreigners. In order to make life and communication (e.g. in business) easier, pupils in China will get an English name already during their school time: Either they can choose by themselves or teacher will choose the name for them.

In Hong Kong there is the same practice. Local young or middle aged people DO have an English name.

Sometimes very “special” and unique name will be chosen. In some countries as Japan, some of the names will be also forbidden (e.g. Devil). But in China and Hong Kong there there seems to be not any restrictions. Here are some true examples:

My Chinese first love when I was 16 was Coco, because he likes Coco Pops.
A girl named Pandora does not know the Greek Story of “Pandora Box”, but the Canadian brand of Cosmetics.
Some of our clients and friends are called Alki (German slang description for somebody who is addicted to alcohol), Ice Cream, Candy, Devil, Clerk, Cherry, Cinderella, …
Last time I met a young men, called Peter Pan, in the train from China to Hong Kong!

Should there too many “Angel”s in the company, the manager may also ask you to change your name! This is unbelievable in Germany!
Btw my Chinese name is Sasa! My friend took the last character of my real name and just double it. It will be written same as the Cosmetics Shop in Hong Kong.

“AllLookSame?” gives you the chance to find it out! (You may knew this site, since it was popular two years ago.)They have different categories such face, architecture, food and so on.

I really like travelling Asia and enjoying their food, so this was a great help for me to solve the questions.
But even you are beginner, it is great fun to get to know these these countries!
It was also exciting! The correct result will be shown later on.
You may also try it!

During Easter holiday we – my German friend and I – are planning to go to Japan for 9 days. By accident I found one guesthouse in Osaka-Area. It is an old house and is running by an old couple. According to the photos this accommodation is traditional and local. Nice Place! They only accept reservation by phone (Japanese only), so I dialed the number. (^。^//）モシモシ

“Hello, this is Nobu. I would like to book a twin room from 6th April to 7th April. Do you have any vacancies?” I asked in Japanese.
Sh~ Sh~~~~~ Oh, the connection is really bad.“Please wait for a moment. I need to check.” an old lady answered.
I was waiting patiently until she asked me“Yes.” Sh~~~ Sh~~ “… for 2 Persons?”“Yes, for 2 Persons.” I have confirmed by just repeating.
Sh~~ “..t’s your name?”“Nobu, and my friend’s name is Roba” Sh~~”to.”
[His name is Robert, but in Japanese his name will be pronounced as ro-bah-to.]
Sh~ Sh~~~~ the connection is really not good today!“Nobu and Roba? I am sorry, pets or roba are not allowed in our hotel.”
Pets? (￣△￣；）エッ・・? Why Roba? Oh no! They misunderstood me.
[Roba is an existing word in Japanese and means donkey! I need to explain and solve the misunderstanding!]“No, roba is not roba. Roba is not my pet, he is my friend and … “
sh~~~~~Sh~ Sh~~~~ Sh~ Sh~~~~ Sh~ Sh~~~~
Connection finally broke down.

The next day I called them again, but they have been booked out already. 。・゜ °・(><)・° ° ・

Everyone who attended So Mei’s funeral on 2009-03-03, got a small envelopment with a green candy, one tissue paper and one Hong Kong Dollar Coin. I have been advised to use and/or eat them all, before I arrive home.

It remembers me to funeral in Japan. I got a small envelopment with salt inside. I did not know what I should do with. So after the funeral I went home. My mother got a little bit “panic” and pushed me out of the house. She explained to me that I need to place the salt in the left and right corner of the entrance door BEFORE I enter the house, so that the bad soul/dead cannot enter in the house. Otherwise dead will enter the house and somebody will die soon. That’s why we also need to return to home directly from the funeral. We should not go for shopping or post office.

I am wondering what kind of meaning the candy and the tissue paper have…. The one dollar coin represents a single case.

CANDY
Shortly after I attend the funeral I ate the candy. It was extremely sweet and also not tasty. But well, this candy is not to be meant as a delicious sweet – I guess it is a symbol of funeral. Maybe I thought it was as not tasty, because I was not in dark mood.
The color of the candy was green. In Germany green is the meaning of “hope”. May be it is the same here.

TISSUE PAPER
During the funeral I have not used it, since I was using my handkerchief. After the funeral I was thinking how to use it, because it is a waste of the tissue paper to throw it away w/o using it before, right? While I was running and looking around, my nose started to run, so I used the tissue paper and threw it away.

ONE DOLLAR COIN
I was thinking how I can spend the one dollar. Well in HKG you cannot find something for one dollar. I do not want to buy sweets, and I also do not want to buy food, since I feel very strange to spend the money from So Mei for food, which we cannot eat together. However, finally I have decided to spend the one dollar for something useful rather than unnecessary staff, because of So Mei. Otherwise it will be very impolite towards her. I went to an totally empty restaurant (usually this is a sign that the food is not good, but this moment I did not care, just want to have silent around me) and ordered a dinner set. I was not hungry at all, although I did not eat so much that day. So it takes me 2 hours to finish the meal. It was not noisy, so I was able to think, to go deep inside of me. After a “M goi, mai dan” (Excuse me, Bill please!) I have received the bill of 65 HKD. I gave the kind waitress a 60 HKD note and 5 dollar coin. When I was going to leave the restaurant, I recognized that something is in my hand. I opened it and discover the one dollar coin. I called the waitress “deng yi deng” (Wait!) back, gave her the one dollar coin and went home.

Last week my mother rang me up. She told me that my cup – which my friend gave me to my 20th Birthday – suddenly slipped out of her hand and now is broken. She felt very strange and rand me up to ask me how I am. I told her that our friend and paddle buddy So Mei suddenly passed away. At that time I did not know what happened. I was shocked, confused and sad. According to her face book’s entries, she must have died very suddenly.

Last Tuesday I went to her funeral. It was the first time I went to a funeral of my friend; it was also my first time to attend a Chinese funeral. Her dead body has been covered by a golden and red blanket with a lot of symbols, which looks exactly like a swastika. Usually she did not wear a make up, but today she was wearing a thick layer of make up. She looks so unnatural; she looks like a wax figure from the Madame Tussauds. She has not any smile on her face, somehow she looks very lonely.

I was thinking she may have an accident, so that’s why her body needs to be covered and she needs to wear such a make up. But I have been informed that this is habitat of the religion.

This funeral was different from the others I went before (in Germany, Italy and Japan). People came, bowed, prayed, said to her good bye in person, sit, prayed,bowed and left. There was not any ceremony. The room was tiled – it looks like a big bathroom, which makes the atmosphere very cold. The room was full of flowers from friends, from business partners and sport teams.

When I arrived the funeral building I met our coaches. They friendly “took care” of me and guided me how to behave. I was not that afraid any more. Although they left after 30 minutes, I have stayed in this room for nearly 2 hours. I was thinking and talking to So Mei.

Recently I got painful stomachache again. Although I am afraid to eat something, I have decided to eat or drink, in order not to dehydrate or collapse- what happened 2 years ago when I had the same,but more painful stomachache. Same as that case, doctors cannot find out what’s going on.

Well, I have found out that I can eat/drink liquid stuff. In the morning I drink fresh prepared juice, for lunch rice soup or congee with steamed vegetable and fish without any spice.
In this frame today I drank a quite interesting vegetable juice: Eggplant with Apple, Cabbage with Blueberry.For sure 100% made of vegetable/fruit juice!